Many are criticizing Knowles' use of "blackface," but it remains unclear to most whether this is a good or bad thing. We're still not sure if this is actually considered blackface in the traditional sense of the word.

On the one hand, we think it's pretty safe to say that the "Single Ladies" singer made the gesture out of respect and good intentions. Alternately, we can also see people being upset with the changing of her skin color, which implies that lighter skin-tones aren't truly African.